Florida's Most Important Physical Water Features

Florida Coastline

• Any discussion of Florida's most important physical water features must begin with its coastline. Stretching for more than 1,800 miles and featuring 1,200 miles of sandy beaches, the Florida coastline has helped make the state the most visited in the United States and one of the top travel destinations in the world. The Sunshine State's coastline is a primary contributor to the state's tourism, a segment of the Florida economy that, according to the University of South Florida, has grown to more than $40 billion a year. The beaches range from the white, powder sands of the Gulf Coast to the packed, drivable beaches of Daytona Beach on the East Coast. This diversity, coupled with warm waters, makes this feature ideal for swimmers and surfers.

Lake Okeechobee

• Lake Okeechobee is another important Florida water feature. Spanning 730 square miles, the lake means "big water" in the native language of the Seminole Indians. Lake Okeechobee, in south central Florida, is the second-largest freshwater lake completely within the United States. With an average depth of 9 feet and a volume of approximately 1.05 trillion gallons of water, according to Lake Okeechobee website, the lake feeds water into the Everglades. The lake contains prized bass and speckled perch fisheries, is the principle source of drinking water for area communities and is the backup source of drinking water for 6 million Floridians. Lake Okeechobee serves as an important habitat for a wide range of birds and endangered species.

The Everglades

• The Everglades forms a watershed of monumental importance, comprising a multitude of wildlife habitats. Originally spanning from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Bay, only 25 percent of the original Everglades remains. The Everglades National Park was dedicated in 1947 and is considered one of the great biological wonders of the world. The park's 2-million-acre wetlands ecosystem is home to more than 350 species of birds. The Everglades is home to alligators and crocodiles, plus 27 types of snakes.

St. Johns River

• The St. Johns River is another important water feature in Florida. Of the 1,700 rivers and streams that flow more than 11,000 miles through the state, the St. Johns River is the longest. This river not only stretches 310 miles, but it is one of the few rivers in the United States to flow north. The river stretches from its swampy headwaters, south of Melbourne, to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean, near Jacksonville. The St. Johns River averages two miles in width at some points and even widens into lakes in central Florida. The river has a total drop of less than 30 feet, or approximately one inch per mile. This gentle slope makes the St. Johns River one of the laziest rivers in the world.